MEXICO CITY -- A massive 8.1-magnitude earthquake hit off Mexico's southern coast, toppling houses in Chiapas state, causing at least three deaths and setting off a tsunami warning, officials said Friday.
The quake was so strong that it caused buildings to sway violently in Mexico's capital more than 1,000km away. Residents fled buildings, many in their pajamas, and gathered in frightened groups in the street. Some neighbourhoods remained in darkness after electricity was knocked out.
Its epicentre was 123km southwest of the town of Pijijiapan, at a depth of 33km. Widespread, hazardous tsunami waves were possible, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.
The US Tsunami Warning System said the earthquake was a potential tsunami threat to several Central American countries, including the Pacific coastlines of Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica. It said the threat was still being evaluated for Hawaii, Guam and other Pacific islands.
“The house moved like chewing gum and the light and internet went out momentarily,” said Rodrigo Soberanes, who lives near San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas, a poor, largely indigenous state popular with tourists.
Chiapas Governor Manuel Velasco said that three people were killed in San Cristobal, including two women who died in San Cristobal when a house and a wall collapsed. He called on people living near the coast to leave their houses as a protective measure.
“There is damage to hospitals that have lost energy,” he said. “Homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged.”
Civil Defence in Chiapas said on its Twitter account that its personnel were in the streets aiding people and warned residents to prepare for aftershocks.
In neighbouring Guatemala, President Jimmy Morales spoke on national television to call for calm while emergency crews checked for damage.
“We have reports of some damage and the death of one person, even though we still don't have details,” Mr Morales said. He said the unconfirmed death occurred in San Marcos state near the border with Mexico.
Lucy Jones, a seismologist in California who works with the US Geological Survey, said such a quake was to be expected.
“Off the west coast of Mexico is what's called the subduction zone, the Pacific Plate is moving under the Mexican peninsula,” she said. “It's a very flat fault, so it's a place that has big earthquakes relatively often because of that.”
“There's likely to be a small tsunami going to the southwest. It's not going to be coming up and affecting California or Hawaii,” she said. “For tsunami generation, an 8 is relatively small.”